Perhaps now, finally, we can stop hearing about the 49ers as possible contenders in the NFC West.
San Francisco lost in Carolina 23-20, and they lost their starting quarterback to a shoulder injury. The last-ranked Panthers passing attack came alive, with Matt Moore throwing for 308 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Both scores went to undrafted sixth-round rookie David Gettis.
The game was tied when Alex Smith was knocked out, but the 49ers can’t blame their injured quarterback on the loss. The Panthers could have won more comfortably if Gettis hadn’t dropped a wide open touchdown on fourth down earlier in the game.
The Panthers suddenly have hope they can compete, with Gettis and fellow rookie Brandon LaFell for 216 receiving yards. Steve Smith’s return helped open up opportunities for his teammates.
The 49ers, meanwhile, move to 1-6. It never made sense to talk about their forgiving upcoming schedule because the 49ers simply haven’t looked like a team capable of consistently beating bad teams. They are a bad team.
Get ready, London. Here comes David Carr!
